Lille vs. Stade Rennes

LOSC had by far the best chances throughout the match and on several occasions thought they had the prime opportunity to find a breakthrough, but a goal would just not arrive.

Even in the first ten minutes it was clear that Lille would enjoy the upper in this predictably tight affair. Eden Hazard was particularly lively in the early stages of the match, though his early darting runs into Breton territory failed to yield any real results.

Rennes had started the match in a pretty timid fashion but it was ironically after their strongest spell in the early stages of the match that Lille would fashion their best chance of the opening 15 minutes. Pierre-Alain Frau may be known for his goal scoring, but a neat through ball seemed to have presented Gervinho with the perfect chance to opening the scoring, but before the Ivorian could roll the ball home, the assistant referee waved his flag.

Hazard continued to pose the visiting side problems, but it was Gervinho who would get onto the end of the best first half chance, controlling a ball that had been wonderfully flighted over the top of the Breton defence before striking narrowly wide of the target.

Having enjoyed much of the play in the first half but not registered a truly worrying effort at Nicolas Douchez’s goal, Lille certainly stepped matters up after the interval, sensing that three points were available.

Franck Beria was the unlikely recipient of the first opening, receiving a pass from Gervinho only to shoot wide of target, a theme that would continue all evening for les Dogues.

Indeed, the worst culprit was captain Stephane Dumont, who wasted a glorious chance on 54 minutes. Hazard did much of the hard work down the right hand side, cutting a ball neatly back across the penalty area to the waiting midfielder, whose shot flew wide of goal with Douchez utterly helpless.

This spell of frustration continued for the hosts, with Gervinho fooling half of the stadium that he had scored when a shot from the edge of the area rippled the net. Sadly his shot had skimmed into the side-netting.

The worst was over for Rennes, who would nevertheless remain largely on the back foot until the conclusion of the match. Douchez had a fright when he lost the trajectory of a hopeful Yohan Cabaye free kick, which dropped narrowly over his bar, while there would be a big scare with 13 minutes remaining.

Gervinho was again the architect, bursting down the right with great effect, but his cut-back to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was blocked by a combination of goalkeeper and Rod Fanni.

Jires Ekoko tried to sneak a cheeky winner for Rennes, but it would again be Lille feeling frustration by full-time. Rudi Garcia’s men thought they had opened the scoring through Mathieu Debuchy, whose deflected shot found the net, but to the ire of the home support his effort was disallowed for offside.

That rather summed up Lille’s night, and to some extent their season so far as they remain in a weak position in Ligue 1. Rennes’ cause has not been aided by this tie either, though it was certainly not a good night for Le Championnat’s top sides.